Love's Rebound
by gelato-sisters
Summary: A new wave of darkness comes with the diminishing health of the Dark Lord. In a race to become the heir to the thrown nothing can stand in the way. In a game of manipulation, love is his best weapon...or is it?


Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to us, we're just simple fans who wish to contribute to the HP fandom!  
  
Author 01- Hey guys! Its Galatéa here aka VampireConvenant...or the author of Misfit. Anyway, this is my new story co-written with the lovely Haley aka Crystalnia. I do hope you guys enjoy this as we worked on this almost every single day now! Any comments please review. We really love to hear it from you...no really!  
  
Author 02- Thank you all for reading, what's more thank you Galatea for having the patience to work with me. We would love to hear your comments or flames; how else will we get better? Thanks again for reading and don't get lost on the internet!  
  
Love's Rebound  
By Galatéa and Haley  
  
Prologue  
  
The shadows reeked havoc over the congregated figures. Their rich dark cloaks, hung from their shoulders as each silently gathered in a circle, waiting for the presence of their Dark Lord.  
  
A few of the men began to grow restless, their patience leaving them hour by hour as the Dark Lord failed to show his attendance. There were whispers, whispers of rumors. While Draco stood there, he listened intently as the whispers grew louder...eventually he didn't have to grant the men any attention to hear what they were saying. He swore he could've heard them a mile away; after all, it was a group of few thousand men, all at the service of the Dark Lord.  
  
"Maybe he was ambushed by the Livingston," Draco heard one say.  
  
"He's the Dark Lord! Livingston is weak, even weaker than that of Potter! He couldn't possibly be ambushed by Livingston," yet another retort, Draco heard.  
  
"Have you any idea of the size of his army? Livingston's militia is growing and it was rumored of him to make contact with Potter!!"  
  
By this instance, Draco looked towards the second man who was about to retort but a sudden creak from large antique doors caught the man's attention. Draco too, turned focus towards the doors, as did the other men among him.  
  
Behind the doors, revealed yet another dark hooded figure, gazing at them while he took a step inside the chamber, and then slowly removing his hood. It was finally, the Dark Lord.  
  
Many men watched as he strolled his way down the center. As he passed Draco and stopped next towards the man that was speaking before, Draco heard a shriek of fear. The Dark Lord gazed at the frightened man.  
  
"Do you doubt me?" Voldemort asked, his eyes surveying carefully at the fellow.  
  
The man shaking was incompetent of any answer at all. He continued to tremble; his fear for the Dark Lord obstructed any more movements. Draco was almost certain the lord would show no mercy to his coward servants, but instead, he walked pass the man and onto his grand seat in the front of the chamber.  
  
Draco gave a perplexed look towards his father, Lucius who in turn found the situation slightly amusing. But Draco quickly turned his attention towards the front chamber where Voldemort paused for a bit, while every man in the chamber hung to his silence. There was tension amongst them and the silence was not helping.  
  
"My most loyal servants! I have some news that might affect you!" he started, pausing a bit, staring into the crowd of men. "I'm sure you have all wondered my lack of presence but I was delayed by some unfinished business."  
  
Almost every man in the room was puzzled...Draco was too. But nevertheless, they listened as the lord continued.  
  
"The Livingston militia and he, himself is eliminated! I've received from an outside source of his where about and the source proved to be correct. Hence, from this moment forth, we shall never lose another life to Livingston!"  
  
The group of death eaters let out a cheer not quieting until the Dark Lord raised his hand for silence so that he could continue. "This source has greatly pleased me, proving an invaluable asset." Draco felt his shoulder muscles tensing up, but kept his face neutral as he watched the dark lord. "My source deserves the highest respect and highest honor that can be bestowed."  
  
Draco bit his tongue to keep from lashing out at someone. It would not due to displease the dark lord not when he was so close. He would just come up with a plan to destroy whatever individual tried to get in the way of his becoming the dark lords heir... just as this one seemed to be doing. Draco looked towards Lucius who too seemed angered by the Dark Lord's compliments towards this certain individual. Then shifted his focus briefly towards the Zabinis, Alverstons, Holtcombs, Ingoldsbys, Everads, all plastered the same look upon them. Draco knew very well that the last thing they wish is some stranger to destroy each family's hope of their son becoming the next Dark Lord. Draco feared also for he would lose his chance. He had never seen the Dark Lord smile so victoriously before.  
  
However, Draco decided against the malicious plotting till later when he heard the Dark Lord call upon the new servant.  
  
"Come forward my faithful servant and I will bestow upon you the most sacred of marks. You have proven yourself beyond any doubt and my Death Eaters and I welcome you with open arms."  
  
At the same moment, the large wooden doors of the chamber opened once again to reveal a figure in the same dark hooded cloak as the others. All heads turned towards the stranger, both with curiosity and to some, envy. Exactly whom the individual was Draco, Lucius, or any other of them could not tell, with the hood covering said his face. The petite figure, which meant it, must have been a fairly young chap, walked passed the few thousand gawking men, before arriving before the Dark Lord, kneeling down to kiss the hems of his robe.  
  
They all looked on mouths opened in shock when the figure spoke.  
  
"My Lord, you are most kind and honorable. I thank you for granting me a place in your circle." The voice tinkled a chord in Draco's mind. It was so familiar yet so impossible. Draco looked to the around him. Faces showed mixtures of shock, relief, and anger. It was a women nothing to worry about. Lucius' face especially stuck out. A gleam in his eyes that clearly stated 'Victory is still ours.' Their plans were not ruined as their chances of being the next heir still stood gloriously bold.  
  
Voldemort bid the girl to rise and she did so, at his gesture she stepped beside him to be properly presented. "It is with great pride I give you my newest Death Eater and newest member to my inner circle. The one to single handedly help destroy the Militia!" He turned to the figure and removed the hood of the mysterious personage's cloak.  
  
There was a long await silence before the Dark lord spoke the words that threw the entire room of a few thousand men into complete utter shock.  
  
"Hermione Granger."  
  
Author 01- Hey well that's the prologue. If you guys like it please review or if you hate it, please review. We would really like to hear from you! So please!  
  
All smiles till next update...if there is one (one way to make sure is to review so...shoo) 


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